Friendly space policy for Wikimedia Foundation technical events

The Wikimedia Foundation is dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, or preferred Creative Commons license (and not limited to those aspects). We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any conference venue or talks. Conference participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference at the discretion of the conference organizers.

Harassment includes but is not limited to offensive verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, political affiliation, or religion. Harassment also includes sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, unwelcome following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the conference organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the conference. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of conference staff immediately. Conference staff can be identified by special badges.

Conference staff will be happy to help participants contact hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the conference. We value your attendance.

Organizers: Sumana Harihareswara, sumanah(at)wikimedia.org and others (whose contact information will be publicized to event participants on a per-event basis)
Phone number: +1 415 839 6885 x 6762
Local phone numbers for hotel/venue security, local law enforcement, local sexual assault hot line, local emergency and non-emergency medical, and local taxi company to be publicized to event participants as appropriate on a per-event basis

We expect participants to follow these rules at all conference venues and conference-related social events.

...provide escorts...

Does anyone know of any other organizations that have published similar policies that govern in-person meetings of its members and affiliated parties?

This new "rule" of theirs is a joke. It takes antidiscrimination laws and twists them slightly, specifically for one reason: to keep critics out of their meetings.

Friendly space policy for Wikimedia Foundation technical events

... Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any conference venue or talks. ... Harassment also includes sexual images in public spaces, ...

And I had no idea that "preferred Creative Commons license" was a cause of oppression...

http://www.webcitation.org/64aCtvlEF

I believe that that is the case. This policy was drafted a week after Wikimedia UK publicly announced Peter Damian's ban from their conventions. The policy is clearly a reaction to Peter.

Although I am reluctant to draw the connectiion between Wikimedia UK's "ban" of Peter Damian and this new policy, the timing is even closer than that. The ban was publicly enacted on 9 January. The policy was announced on wikitech-l on 12 January. It is also discussed on foundation-l, starting here.

NO. Absolutely not. In fact, the recommended constitution and bylaws of the Rotary Clubs are often used by other nonprofit groups, as a kind of "standard" for such things. There is no mention of "harassment" or "stalking" at all. Because there are laws that deal with such things--laws that more-or-less clearly define what those words mean.

>>The Wikimedia Foundation is dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, or preferred Creative Commons license (and not limited to those aspects).

[...]

And I had no idea that "preferred Creative Commons license" was a cause of oppression...

So, in the name of Fucking Shit Up, let's come up with some very un-PC Creative Commons License insults to mutter under out breath at WMF events, shall we?

$CONFERENCE is dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for everyone [, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, or religion [insert any other specific concerns here]]. [If you want to add some humor, you can also list text editor, programming language, or operating system.] We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any conference venue, including talks. Conference participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference [without a refund] at the discretion of the conference organizers. Our anti-harassment policy can be found at:

[URL for full anti-harassment policy]

[..] Pronounced like Eisenhower and Einstein [..] I go to as many cons as I can, but I live about 250 miles from San Francisco, and I am barely employed. I do costumes on comission for con money.

I am currently working on making a webcomic about the Evolutionary
history of the TRANSFORMERS, and also one about Cosplayers. WHich is like
Otaku-No_Video

Virtual VIKKI is ©1993,1994,1995,1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and now 2002 ! by Richard Hallock.
Hey... I invented the practice of Digi-this and Digi-that! I shoud get royalties! And for that matter I also coined the term Yiffariffic!

This page was completely created on Apple Macintosh computers. If you try one you will understand why the rest of the computing world is doing flips and twists to cram a Mac-like GUI interface into thier machines the same way that overweight women attempt to squirm into jeans that are several sizes too small!

Selecting the correct software to feed your computer is s difficult task. At first the selections will be simple, but later on the choices you make will determine what your Macatotchi will grow up to be. If you give it the correct software it may grow up to be a laptop of graphics workhorse, but should you accidentally feed it any Microspooge products it may devolve into a Vic-20! Your Macatotchi also will occasional need new hardware which you can select from a menu. be sure to select only compatible products. You wouldn't want your Macatotchi to blow a fuse.

Harassment includes but is not limited to . . . harassing photography or recording . . . .

discriminate against everyone not speaking in correct RP accent

also, fursecution.

actually, I'd pay furries to go I think, just for how ridiculous it would make the rest of them look when the cameras are clicking for speeches etc hehe. but not show them this post
. . . .

also, fursecution.

actually, I'd pay furries to go I think, just for how ridiculous it would make the rest of them look when the cameras are clicking for speeches etc hehe. but not show them this post

http://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?titl...5&oldid=3317754

Thanks for that link. I'm withdrawing any accusation about a connection between Peter Damian's ban and the new policy. I was wrong.

The timing seems to clearly indicate that Peter Damian's ban was a catalyst to enact this silly policy

It also supports the status as Wikipedia-as-cult, since cults often foster a persecution complex. But I think mostly Wikipedians come to Wikipedia with their persecution complexes already established.

"Rejecting a good idea because of process wonkery is stupid."

read this if you want to vomit.



translation; "We are not going to reject this stupid idea just because it's stupid - it happens to be our stupid idea. FURTHERMORE, this stupid idea is in fact 'policy wonkery', so anyone who objects to it will be accused of 'process wonkery' "

This new "rule" of theirs is a joke. It takes antidiscrimination laws and twists them slightly, specifically for one reason: to keep critics out of their meetings. The vagueness is intentional, I'm sure, so they don't have to actually write down what constitutes "harassment". In all likelihood, if this ever came up in a court of law, I expect it would be struck down for excessive vagueness. It is an obvious attempt to purge critics from their publicly-held open meetings.

John Doe 1 (or maybe Jane, hard to say) filed a complaint against John Doe 2 for linking his old username to his new username. Officers on the scene required assistance from the EMTs due to severe cramps caused by uncontrollable laughing.

I'd love to see the police blotter:

edit: holy crap I found the scary part of the internet again, I can't stop looking over this "snowcrest" site...:
snowcrest.net/fox/project.html

While the Peter Damian angle is tempting, really this is reflective of the fact that a supermajority of Wikipedians have victim complexes. Wikipedia, like many online communities, is a haven for people who are convinced that they are being oppressed for their differences. Some of them are, others are not, but ultimately the truth of the belief doesn't matter; all that matters is that the belief is pervasive.

The exception is when the organization is one that has a history of being systematically targeted (in which case the policy is a necessary response to harassment), but there is no evidence of any sort of systematic targeting of Wikipedia gatherings.

It also supports the status as Wikipedia-as-cult, since cults often foster a persecution complex. But I think mostly Wikipedians come to Wikipedia with their persecution complexes already established.